There is room for You!

Those 'personalized' letters that come from some far-off credit card company that open with 'Dear Jerry,' as though they came from a friend, make me laugh out loud. The marketers that work to create the illusion of personalization recognize a real need that exists in our world- to be known and accepted. They know that most of us are left empty by the impersonal nature of our hurry-up world. We want to be 'connected' to others. So, they create fake 'personalized' letters that appeal to that hunger.

Yesterday, I went to the deli where I stop a couple of morning during the week to get a cup of coffee and where I pick up lunch every now and then. The man who owns that deli always greets me with a smile. When I stepped up to the counter to order a sandwich, before I could say anything, he said, "It will be a 'Slam,' no tomato, with mayo, right?" He knew a little part of my preferences and I appreciated his effort to remember! It feels good when someone remembers my name. I'll admit it. No, it's not because I'm egotistical, it's just that I want to feel human, not like a machine.

When the Son of God was born, He came to a world that didn't recognize Him. Joseph and his very pregnant wife arrived in Bethlehem to find themselves on the outside, their needs unmet. According to Luke, they went to settle down in the place where the animals were kept 'because there was no room for them in the inn.' (2.7) John says, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." (John 1:10-11, NIV)

Why didn't people recognize Mary's pregnancy and make room for her and for her baby?
Why did Jesus live among people who talked much about their desire for God's Deliverer, the Messiah, but yet did not recognize Him?

Most likely He went unrecognized for the same reasons that we fail to 'know' the people that surround us. Often, it isn't open hostility or intentional disregard. We just get pre-occupied with life, busy with our 'stuff,' intent on meeting our own agenda, don't we?

One of the greatest gifts we can give to those around us is the gift of warmth, compassion - of being loving. That sounds so simple, doesn't it?

Yet, we fail at it so often. I think I know, at least partially, why. We fail at love for others because we fail to love God! When we make it a priority to love God, to carve out time from our schedules to pray, to meditate, to be in His Presence - His love settles over us, bringing a serenity to our heart and mind. From that centeredness, that serenity, comes a sense of purposefulness. Instead of living frantically, rushing around trying to become 'somebody,' trying to secure our place in the world, worrying about having enough; we live in the care of the Father who knows our needs before we even ask Him about them! We gain a sense that He knows our name! We are not alone. We are no longer insecure in an impersonal world. We are God's sons and daughters. Loved, we become more loving.

Don't let this Season of Celebration of God's love gift be robbed of the most important part - making room for God, and for others! For what good it is if our house is wonderfully decorated, if the gifts are beautifully wrapped, if the dinner is astonishingly delicious - but our life is full of stress and confusion as a result of all our 'busy-ness?'

Love God! Focus on Jesus, making room in your life, your heart, for Him. Then, as you experience His love, go love Him. How?
He said, "Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40, The Message)

That's right - we make room for Jesus when we make room in our hearts for those around us!
_________________________________

God's Light

Yesterday, I was temporarily overwhelmed by human need. Everywhere I looked there were challenges, disappointments, and sins. The weight of it pressed on me as though a heavy burden was laid on my shoulders. As I conducted a Bible Study in a jail, I saw men and women with need, many of them slaves to drugs and/or alcohol. Most of those at that table have lived in a cycle of brokenness that stretches back for generations! The police called me asking for the church to assist a homeless man who had spent the night on the street in the cold rain. He was miserable, soaked to the skin, stinking, and without hope. That was just the local stuff!

The news media brought me plenty of reasons to be filled with despair! Terrorism, despite our best and expensive efforts, continues to be a potent threat in much of the world. Militant Islam is on the march. American soldiers are still on alert in Iraq, facing a shadowy foe that attacks from nowhere and fades back into the general population. It's been a year of terrible disasters that are still causing misery in various parts of the globe - the tsunami that devastated the Pacific region just after Christmas last year, the storms that raged across the Southeast United States leaving a major city in ruins and thousands of Americans living in third world conditions, the earthquakes that killed tens of thousands in Pakistan and destroyed an entire region's infrastructure.

"OK, OK, enough of that," you say, and I agree! From where comes hope?

Another man was wrestling with disappointment. His fiancé was pregnant and he knew that he wasn't the father! Into the darkness of that man's broken dreams, an angel spoke of hope. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21, NLT) The angel urges that man to look past his problem to God's answer! Joseph was drawn into God's great plan to bring a Light to the World. By faith he became part of that plan, and went ahead with his marriage to Mary and extending the security of his home and love to the baby who would change history by his life.

John opens his Gospel with the declaration - "What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out." (John 1:4-5, The Message) There is HOPE for those who look to the Light.

The solution to human need begins with the transformation of the heart. That transformation is the result of a supernatural intervention- God stepped into the world, born the son of a virgin mother, to bring us Light, so that we might see our way back to our Father, to life, and to Heaven. "Jesus," the name means "God saves!" Christmas is about hope for a hopeless world. It's not a temporary lift that comes from celebrations and decorations. It about the possibility of real and lasting change for those who will look to the Light!

It begins with you and me, individually, responding to the Spirit's invitation. That weight I felt in my soul yesterday was actually God's invitation to fall to my knees and look up, past my insufficiency, to Him. I cannot change even my own life by my best efforts, so what would lead me to conclude that I could change my world? But, Jesus, the Savior, makes me a child of God, a son filled with Heaven's hope, and resources me to meet the needs that come my way. If you're beset by need, overwhelmed by life's challenges, look to the Light! Then, together, you and I and millions of others who are Light-bearers will bring the blazing brightness of His light to the darkness.

John says,
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.

1:14-15 The Message

Let the Light shine!

"I see," Oh, really?

Minkaye is a man who lived his entire life in the Amazonian jungle. Most of his life he lived just as his ancestors lived for a thousand years, with little awareness of the greater world. Then, the missionaries who lived with his people invited him to go with them to visit the United States. His attempts to tell his wife what he experienced are hilarious! He told her that the 'foreigners' are very fat because they don't hunt or plant gardens, they just sit around a lot. She scoffed, "how do they eat?" He told her that there are great food houses where people go and take piles of food in a wagon to a girl near the door who "pretends not to look at them for a while, then she looks up and smiles." "Then," Minkaye reported, "people give her a little card which she looks at and then she gives it right back and they take the food home." Interesting description of the supermarket and check out procedure, isn't it? He told her that he 'saw it very well,' meaning that he really took it in and enjoyed it. But Minkaye didn't really "see" it because he lacked the information required to interpret what he was seeing with his eyes. (from the DVD, Beyond the Gates of Splendor)

You and I can be like Minkaye when it comes to spiritual matters. As creatures of this earth, we are natural ignorant of the ways of the spiritual realm and yet we think that we understand what we see, but apart from the enlightenment that comes from the Spirit of God, we don't really 'get it!' It is possible to waste lots of resources and be frustrated in our attempts to correct problems that have deep spiritual causes with purely natural methods. Evil is active around us, trying to destroy lives! There is plenty of outward evidence of it. Hatred, racism, greed, and lust are just a few symptoms. How do we attempt to change those things in ourselves, in others? If we do not see the spiritual roots that lie beyond our ability to see with natural eyes we will surely think providing information or writing more stringent laws will be the remedies.

Then, too, a person who sees life only with his natural eyes will not grasp the joy of true worship of the living God, nor will he appreciate the richness that is found in knowing Jesus as Friend and Lord. He will believe that 'real life' can be discovered in wealth and/or pleasure. But, in truth, because we are spiritual beings, designed to know and love God, an inner emptiness will remain even when there is superficial success.

Here's the challenge for us, that we maintain 20/20 spiritual vision! It is possible to catch a glimpse of God's work and ways and then to slide back into seeing only with natural eyes. Many Christians and churches are ineffective and powerless as agents of transformation precisely for that reason. They are trying to spiritual work with natural methods and means.

Our prayer needs to be - "Lord, open our eyes! Let us see and understand." Here's a word from the Word. Before you read it, humbly ask the Holy Spirit to make the meaning plain.

"... the wisdom we speak of is the secret wisdom of God, which was hidden in former times, though he made it for our benefit before the world began....

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets. No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us." (1 Corinthians 2:7-12, NLT)

Pray for insight! Let God reveal what cannot be grasped by natural means alone - both in terms of human needs and Divine solutions.
And then, as He enlightens you, you will live in true wisdom: a mature, spiritual person who really does "see it well."
_____________________

Open Our Eyes

Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him,
And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord,
And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus.

Author: Cull, Bob
Copyright: 1976 Maranatha! Music (Admin. by The Copyright Company)

A worthy prince?

It is the Season called Advent, a time of preparation for Christ's coming as our King. Yesterday I wrote about preparation. The question - does my life show honor for Him, preparedness for His coming - has stayed with me. We love that phrase that says we're "King's Kids." You know what? We are! So we need to start acting like princes and princesses! There is a certain obligation that goes with belonging to the King's family and bearing His name in this world. In this Advent season. one way to honor the King is to develop a sensitive conscience that allows the Spirit to call us to greater devotion, to a more consistent holiness, in every area of our lives.

In last month's issue of Christianity Today, David Gushee wrote a most compelling article that touches on this subject. I'd recommend a careful reading of it to each of my readers. Online you can find the article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/011/27.88.html. In that essay, Gushee uses the phrase 'moral sloppiness' to describe the disarray in the lives of many who call themselves Christians.

We modern evangelical Christians are so terrified of sliding back into the legalistic traditions of a generation past that it seems many of us have lost the ability to call sins by their names! With a broad brush of 'grace' we cover even the most flagrant failures. In the the guise of love, we challenge no one, not even ourselves, to make the hard choices that being a genuine Christ-follower require. The result is a pseudo-religious experience that demands nothing from us but some sentiments expressed at appropriate moments.

"Jerry, that awfully harsh, isn't it? Do you want to turn the faith into a set of laws?" No way! I would never be an advocate for going back to a time when we judged the sincerity of another's Christian faith based on his choice of a refreshing beverage on a hot summer day, the length of her skirt, the kind of music that he loved, or whether she smoked cigarettes! Many of those unwritten rules of 'Christian' conduct were so arbitrary that they were even silly. But, when we swept them away in the name of God's grace, many of us went way too far and we lost the very Biblical concept of being God's holy people, who live in distinct ways that are worthy of our Savior and King.

For example, I believe we need to be able to exercise discipline with that Believer who will not honor his marriage vows as he chases skirts at work.
Then, too, the gossip who tears up the church with stories that are born in a fertile imagination should not get a pass because 'that's just the way she is.'
And, our teens should be taught that sex is really a gift of God and that while our culture says, 'just do it' albeit safely. A real Christian knows that sex has a component of sacredness and God put it into the loving context of marriage for very, very good reasons.

A true Christian will have a different set of values about Money. Greed is so common among Christians most of us see no moral problem with craving more, spending more, running up our debt load 'as long as we meet the minimum monthly payment.' One twisted form of American Christianity even regards conspicuous materialism as a sign of God's blessings. Jesus taught us that we don't own the stuff we care for, or the money in our bank account. We're managers of God's stuff and will give account to the Owner someday. Sobering thought, isn't it? Of course I realize that it's so easy to become legalistic, to create some arbitrary $ amount that is 'too much.' It would be a mockery of the Bible's stewardship principles to argue a Christian can only build a house of certain size or drive a Ford, but not a Lincoln! But, how about having an accountability partner with whom you pray and consult before making a major purchase, someone who will help you check motives? That's the stuff of REAL Christianity, isn't it?

Now that I'm on a roll, I'll just go ahead and jump off the cliff and write about -- church attendance. This year Christmas falls on Sunday and I've already braced myself that the majority of the people in our church will choose family and home over honoring the Lord and His Body by gathering to worship that morning. But it's not just Christmas Sunday, either. On any given Lord's Day, only a little more than one half of the people who call the Assembly their church home are actually there! We excuse this self indulgence by reminding ourselves that going to church doesn't make us a Christian, which is true enough. But, don't we show what we value by the way we divide our time? Are birthday parties, football games, or fixing up our house really the equal of corporate worship? IF we love the Lord, we will desire to be in the company of others who love Him, praising Him and hearing His Word. And... by the way, parent... if you want your child to grow up to put a high priority on serving God, one of the ways you teach them what's important is how you use your Sundays! It's a very visible, tangible demonstration of discipline, commitment, and dedication. Argue with me if you will, but it's hard to tell your child -- "Jesus is first, our Lord" -- as you're driving past the church half the Sundays of the year on your way to a family gathering, a sporting event, or while you lay in your bed "because it's been such a tough week, God will surely understand."

In the book of the Revelation of Jesus we are urged by the King- "Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God. “If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night.

Here's a promise for those who walk worthy! -- “You still have a few Christians in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth! “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels." (Revelation 3:2-5, The Message)

Gushee's conclusion is worthy of consideration:
"Christianity is more than an event, an experience, or a set of beliefs. It is a way of life characterized by moral seriousness and the quest for holiness."

Are you living worthy of your relationship to the King? If not, repentance is in order. And then, watch out for shallow legalism! Cultivate deep intimacy with God, from which comes authentic holiness, which is truly beautiful - in His sight, and before our world. I pray that Jesus is King of my sexuality, my possessions, my leisure time, my work habits, my thoughts, my words, my plans and goals.... so that when people spend time with me, they will say, "you certainly have a great Father, and it's obvious you love Him!"
__________________________

PS - I didn't write this specifically for you, or for any one of the other couple of hundreds of people who read TFTD on a daily basis. Please do not feel that you need to write to me with an explanation about why you weren't in church last week. This TFTD was born out of my own reflection on ways that I express my devotion to the Lord Jesus, my own desire to live in a way that is worthy of my position as a child of God. I hope you'll read it that way, too. Our Christianity is never lived, ultimately, for our Pastor, our family, or our friends. It is lived for Christ, the King. Love Him.

Preparations made?

When a very important person (VIP) is coming to your town, there are preparations made. The streets are cleaned, bright banners are hung, and high school bands are tuned up so that that person is welcomed in a manner appropriate to his status! If that VIP is the President of the United States of America the preparations are even more extensive because of security concerns. I've read that even the manhole covers in the street are welded shut and the mailboxes removed along his parade route. Imagine that.

Christians just entered the season of Advent, a time of preparation. Four weeks before Christmas, the church calendar calls us to renewed focus on the great promise of our King's return. As He came once, He will come again. Isn't that wonderful promise? You haven't really thought about it? Many of us do not! We are busy with our lives: working to meet deadlines, keep things in order, make the wheels of progress turn. It is good to be productive, but... we must not forget our devotion to the most important Person so that all the other things are kept in their proper place in our list of priorities.

The ancient Church decreed that Christians had a holy obligation to attend worship services on each of the 4 Sundays before Christmas. The intent of this rule was that this would prepare Christians to begin the new year with a renewed devotion to Christ. Of course, the good intent of such a regulation was soon lost and so as we observe Advent we set aside those kinds of rules. But I hope we keep the intention! My prayer is that the carols playing in public places, the decorations that fill our homes, offices, and streets, and even the excesses of commercialism will be turned to good purpose. Make them a reminder of your devotion to your King! And consciously connect the Coming of Jesus, the Baby of Bethlehem with the promise of the Coming of the Lord of Glory!

Zechariah proclaims - "Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—even on a donkey’s colt. I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and I will destroy all the weapons used in battle. Your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon." (9:9-11, NLT)

I don't pretend to understand all the intricacies of End Time prophecy. I am not all that caught up in theories of Rapture and Tribulation, a la - the Left Behind series. But I live in the hope of the King's return! When storms sweep across the earth, when earthquakes shatter the nations, when tsunamis roar ashore, when the rumble of war fills the news, when threats of pandemics are announced - I weep for those who suffer, but I find comfort in the promise that the King will restore this broken world. When sin raises its ugly presence in my life, reminding me of my fallen nature and my tendency to fail my Lord, sadness fills my heart for I have failed my Savior, but I rejoice that He is the King- even of my heart - and will free me, and all who await His coming, from this body of death someday.

Once, when I did not understand the magnificence of His grace, the return of the King struck terror in my heart. I was fearful that He would come and find me unprepared. Now I know the wonder of His sufficient grace, the power of His Spirit and so this phrase - The King is coming! - is my hope. I am drawn to live a prepared life, not so that I will be left behind, but so that I will welcome Him in a manner appropriate to His majesty!

It is Advent- the time of preparation. Take the call of the Psalm with you today and let each 'Christmas' decoration or song cause you to renew your preparation to welcome the King of Glory....

"Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors! A
nd the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory." (Psalm 24:7-10, NKJV)